Just a Question
by Ms. Notebook
Summary: In which Rinne asks if Sakura and Tsubasa are dating. Takes place after Chapter 21. Oneshot.


Note: Takes place in the manga just after the triple date in chapter 21. Hints of Rinne x Sakura, one-sided Tsubasa x Sakura

Disclaimer: I don't own Rin-ne/Kyokai no Rinne. It belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media.

* * *

Rinne had described it as an ugly feeling, like stepping on a caterpillar in the middle of hell. But, as the day had gone on, Rinne had felt the disgusting lurch in his stomach twist even tighter when he continued to stare at Jumonji and Sakura Mamiya having fun on each ride at the amusement park. The ugly feeling only grew stronger when he saw her smiling at the exorcist, bashfully and in that down-to-earth way she always did…

Maybe he was sick.

He was not trying to be a stalker. He was not jealous, no matter what Rokumon insinuated. Sakura Mamiya was just a girl who happened to get caught up in his shinigami duties, nothing more. He was here on mere business, to protect the spirit from getting exorcised by the reckless Jumonji. It was nothing more than that. His intentions were purely professional.

But why did he feel so happy when Sakura Mamiya had thanked him for the dolphin plushie?

Why was he having fun?

**Just a Question**

It was eerily silent as the three of them walked down the sidewalk, in the general direction of their homes. In Rinne's case, he would be returning to the old abandoned building of their school where a peppy black cat would be waiting for him. Rinne, a withdrawn person himself, felt that the silence was a god send. It meant he didn't have to bring up any awkward subjects, and being an awkward person himself, it also meant that he didn't have to fumble in trying to be social. He continued to stare at ahead of him, acting as aloof and uncaring as he could.

Jumonji had been watching him, Rinne could tell. The annoying exorcist's eyes were glued towards his head for whatever silly fight the exorcist had started over Sakura Mamiya. They were accusing eyes, calculating his every move. Sighing, Rinne continued to stare ahead of himself, ignoring the other two walking with him. He didn't understand Jumonji too much, but he knew enough about the guy to dislike him.

Sakura Mamiya, on the other hand, was staring at her dolphin plushie. Noticing this, Rinne couldn't help but subconsciously relax his shoulders, with a gentle smile on his face. It was sort of… cute, how happy she got over that thing. He was glad he got it for her, even if it was with someone else's money. The tingles in his chest still hadn't faded.

"Well, this was a productive day," Jumonji said loudly, breaking the somewhat peaceful silence, "I look forward to our next date, Mamiya-san."

That stopped the two of them in their tracks. Rinne felt a twisting in his stomach as something in him protested loudly against the direction this conversation was taking. The pleased grin on Jumonji's face upset him. He couldn't help but hide a grimace.

_Stop that_, he thought to himself, _I'm not supposed to care. Sakura Mamiya is her own person. She can be with whoever she wants too. It's not any of my business._

He could leave.

But his feet wouldn't let him.

Rinne glared down at the ground and his traitorous legs. Apparently, along with Rokumon, the world was against him.

Meanwhile, Sakura Mamiya, extremely confused, remained unaware of the tensions in the air. "Huh? What next date?"

Jumonji's face fell, and something in Rinne whooped, but he made sure to kick it back down again with a shinigami scythe. Hard.

_He was not supposed to care about this kind of stuff, darn it! _They were just friends… sort of.

"Well, I assumed that…," the exorcist trailed off, a light blush gracing his cheeks as he began poking his fingers together.

It was probable that the exorcist had started to monologue in his head again. Rinne sighed to himself. All this guy thought about were dates and exorcisms.

He looked to the still, very confused, Sakura Mamiya. He couldn't help it. He had blurted it out without thinking.

"Aren't you and Jumonji dating now?"

_Not that I care_, he added quickly to himself. _I'm just looking out for her_. _Just curious_.

Again, Sakura Mamiya was bemused. "Dating?"

Quickly regaining his demeanor back, Jumonji reached for Sakura Mamiya's hands again, "We are dating, aren't we?"

Nope, Rinne did not just have a rather peculiar urge to take out his shinigami scythe and chase Jumonji away from Sakura Mamiya's hands. Nope, not even when Jumonji brought her hand closer to his chest, or when he leaned in even closer to her face so that they were mere inches apart from kissing.

But before Rinne's thoughts could run even wilder, Sakura Mamiya had already taken her hands out of Jumonji's. There was a gentle smile on her face which sent more tingles up Rinne's spine, the same as when he had gotten her the plushie she had wanted.

He couldn't help but notice how pretty the hat on her head looked against her hair… Well, not that it _was_ pretty or anything… just _kind of_ pretty…

"Jumonji-kun, I think I said that I wanted to be friends first," she grinned at him. "This was more of a group date, so I didn't count it as anything romantic. Besides, I think I'd like to get to know you first before I decide whether or not to date you."

"Oh," Jumonji nodded quickly, "Right. I forgot."

_Yeah right_, thought Rinne.

The sort-of shinigami couldn't stop the giddiness that seemed to follow with Sakura Mamiya's words, just as he couldn't seem to control any of the other feelings he kept having around the girl.

"Well, see you later, Rokudo-kun, Jumonji-kun," Sakura Mamiya said as they reached the crossroads.

He watched her walk down the road in silence, wrestling with the mixture of emotions inside of himself.

_He wasn't supposed to care._

_He wasn't supposed to care…._

A hand clapped on Rinne's shoulder heavily. The shinigami gave a glare of annoyance at the exorcist who was looking at him as if they were sworn enemies in a duel to the death. Inwardly, Rinne wanted nothing to do with the complications that the exorcist had suddenly brought into his life.

The spirit… the date… then Sakura's smile…

_He really wasn't supposed to care…_

"You're a worthy opponent. But it's not over yet Rokudo! Don't think you've won yet!" Jumonji declared loudly.

_Maybe, he could allow himself to care… just a little._

To the exorcist's bewilderment, Rinne smiled serenely at him.

"Oy, you shinigami! What are you smirking about?! You're thinking lewd thoughts about Mamiya-san aren't you, you horrible man! I'll get—"

Rinne gave the loud exorcist a good whack.

_After all, Sakura Mamiya and Jumonji weren't dating._

-

Just a little drabble to provide some closure to the whole 'date' arc. I love Tsubasa! He's hilarious! The manga is awesome, I really liked the whole triple date thing… and the Rinne x Sakura hints… Anyways, thanks for reading this badly-written oneshot!

Please review :D


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